In the opening ODI between India and South Africa in Ranchi, the match went down to the final moments, with the hosts securing a 17-run win. Chasing a daunting target of 350, the Proteas displayed remarkable resilience despite an early collapse to 11 for 3. They staged an impressive comeback, putting India under pressure until the last over. At the start of the final over, South Africa, with nine wickets down, required 18 runs to win. Prasidh Krishna delivered a dot ball to Corbin Bosch and then dismissed him, clinching a narrow victory for India.
Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports after the match, praised South Africa’s remarkable comeback. He noted that the contest remained tense until the final over, with the team recovering impressively despite being in serious trouble at 11 runs for three wickets. He warned that India should be cautious in the upcoming two games.
Virat Kohli achieved his 52nd ODI century, setting a new record, while Rohit Sharma and acting captain KL Rahul contributed half-centuries, leading India to post a score of 349 for 8 in their 50 overs after being asked to bat first.
South Africa found themselves struggling at 11 for 3 early in the match, with Harshit Rana claiming two wickets in a single over using the new ball. Nevertheless, impressive innings from Matthew Breetzke (72), Marco Jansen (70 from 39 balls), and Corbin Bosch (67 from 51 balls) kept the Proteas in contention until the closing stages, before they were eventually dismissed for a total of 332.
India’s spinner Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the standout performer with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 68 runs in his 10 overs. His scalps included Jansen and Breetzke, both dismissed in the same over. The victory gave India a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series against South Africa, with the remaining games scheduled in Raipur and Visakhapatnam on December 3 and 6, respectively.
